What started out as a bathroom remodel for Jerry and Desi Winter ballooned into a transformation of the entire 3,500-square-foot 1940s brick house (using a 1990s inclusion). The duo came to Ibarra Rosano Design Architects together with the desire only for a minimalist, modern spa-like bathroom, but then the awkward finishes and plasma flow of the remainder of the house were amplified in comparison, inspiring them to do something bigger.

The architects created discerning cuts to open up the inside spaces, created a cohesive wrapper for the outside and reworked the outside spaces to create outdoor rooms of various sizes for various activities. The results are up to now beyond what the client and architect started with this it is difficult to believe the house is not a new construction from the bottom up. Let’s have a tour of the house and see how the spaces serve the family members and connect them to their environment.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Jerry and Desi Winter and their 2 boys
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Size: 3,500 square feet
That’s intriguing: Just 35 square feet have been added, for a shower.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

The outside palette is simple but carefully implemented. Stucco more brick and concrete cubes are mainly utilized for the walls, and slatted stainless steel pubs display the trash area, the shower and also a play area.

Here we’re looking toward front door from the entry plaza and carport. Before, this entry was the door, but given the grade change, it made more sense to create this front door and flip the old entry into a patio, which we’ll see later. We’ll also see how the architects made this outdoor space to be more than a driveway.

Before Photo

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

BEFORE: Prior to delving farther into the house, it is good to have a quick look at its earlier state. The low house obviously exhibited that it was constructed at twice; it lacked cohesion of expression in the walls and windows. The outdoor spaces — driveway and kidney-shaped pool — fit awkwardly with the house. The living area was dark, due to a fireplace and an adjacent wall separating the living room from the dining room/sunroom. The bathroom was obviously in need of updating. And let’s not neglect the rooftop unit dropped upon the roof ever-so ungracefully. (Rooftop units are found in the house’s most current iteration, but the architects made enclosures for them; one is observable in the preceding photo.)

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

AFTER: Here we have the new floor plan (click on it for a bigger view), which will be essentially the same footprint as the earlier plan. The only additional square footage is the shower (15) sticking out beyond the walls; an enclosure (16) maintains privacy in the restroom.

The other significant changes inside the house were the demolition of the fireplace and adjacent walls, opening up the living space (7, 8) for plenty of light, and a small enlargement of the master bath/closet (18) within the original footprint of the house. Other changes to wall locations were minimal, and the conversion concentrated on developing a cohesive environment indoors and outside.

Notice: Numbered references in the remainder of this ideabook refer to the floor plan.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

The former front door now functions as a deck (23 from the ground plan) looking south. Notice how it is increased relative to the approximate site cited previously. The door in the center of the glass wall stays, but this outdoor space acts as a location for sitting and enjoying views of Tucson, particularly at nighttime.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

The carport (24) sits to the far western edge of the website. When Jerry and Desi come home, they traverse the patterned entry plaza (1), a rather large expanse that rewards from it not being considered as a driveway. Likewise the architects did not plan the carport to be only a shelter for cars; they left a gap between the walls and roof to highlight the distant mountain views, a vista that’s even more striking when seen through the windshield.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

The living area that was divided by a fireplace is now one open space. Here we’re looking from the TV room (6) to the deck around the south.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

Taking away the fireplace supposed shifting the roof within the living space. Two beams span from wall to wall, and in between (indicating the location of the fireplace) is a skylight.

Notice the habit modern hutch beyond the dining room table, a layout echoed elsewhere.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

In the living room we may see the distant lights of Tucson.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

Now we move in the master bathroom (18), what started the project in the first location. A personalized wood and tile vanity, a floating mirror, a tile shower and custom cabinets create a modern yet rich oasis. The living spaces have been treated in terms of color, but this is not the case here.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

A bathtub sits in the corner overlooking the outside fireplace (19), which we’ll take a closer look at shortly.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

Before we head back outside, here’s a view of the new shower. Notice the picket fence beyond the window, which offers privacy; the bathtub’s glass walls offer the feeling of bathing out.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

What was a kidney-shaped pool pushed up against the house is now a lap pool (21) having plenty of space for lounging and for guests. The outdoor fireplace is a strong draw that is a natural gathering space on cold nights.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

Floating concrete planks form a bridge that connects one side of the garden to the other. The tile wall at the end of the pool is a great way to terminate the vista; its own color is somewhere between that of the water and the sky.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

Another outside space can be found in the house’s southwest corner. The west courtyard (12) is accessed from the south deck or the west bedroom (10). The tree, the “window” shifting beyond, and a square of grass have made it a favorite location for the owner’s brother to do yoga in.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

After the completion of the house’s remodel, both Jerry and Desi had a few boys and wanted more space. They commissioned Ibarra Rosano to bring a small children’s wing to the southeast corner of the website, adjacent to the shower bump-out and east bedroom (14). Here we may observe the new wing, however, what draws our attention is the play yard that sits in front of the house — a slatted stainless steel cube sits astride new stucco-clad blog partitions, hinting at the fun beyond.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

Eschewing playground equipment (swings and so on) in favor of open surfaces for drama, Ibarra Rosano created a few levels following the topography. Grass is adjacent to the house, and a soft play surface created from recycled rubber and a sandbox are down a few steps. The cube enclosure is part shade area, part fort.

Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

I believe he enjoys it!

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